Ya snooze, ya lose
I’ve been excited about a “big” consignment sale for weeks. It has its own website with photos of rows of cribs and strollers and outside toys. It is a sale for large items – no clothes or small toys. I have been holding off any baby purchases in hopes of this sale having the mother load of affordable baby items. I was hoping to find a crib, double stroller, and/or outside slide or play house for Sabrina.
It started at 8am this morning and was scheduled until noon. It is about 40 minutes from our house and we arrived at just about 9am. I’m not sure if the sale didn’t collect as many items to sell as it had in the past (they had photos!) or if there was a crowd of frugal moms waiting when the doors opened at 8 but when we got there, there was nothing left. There were 5 strollers – 1 double but it wasn’t one I wanted, 1 toddler bed, a couple of child desks, a dozen of those mats with the hanging toys for babies, a rickety crib, and an over priced changing table. That was it.
It is quite pathetic how heartbroken I was to find nothing we wanted or needed. I never dreamed I would have to line up at the door before it opened and throw elbows to make purchases. Anyone want to camp out in line with me for the next big sale?
You definitely have to camp out. I’m not sure which sale that one was, but even for the smaller consignments around here, people line up at least an hour before! It craziness.
Just get your stuff on craigslist. I’ve found everything i’ve needed on that site for CHEAP
Did you check Craigslist. I got Mia an outside little tikes log cabin playhouse for only $50 on Craigs List! The only thing wrong with it is that it has a few shutters missing, but new it costs $250+ so I didn’t care. They always have a lot of baby items on our local Craigs List.
Ok I just read that Brenda said the same thing, but I guess you can hear it twice : )
By the way LOVE LOVE the name Tessa! It’s different, but not too different! Great choice.
There are some consignment sells like that where I live. They have them twice a year, and I go early and wait. It’s a blast! And I know exactly what you mean.
I never have had the patience to go to one of the consignment sales they have around here. I know some people get great deals, but I just don’t want to go to the large amount of trouble that some of them require (like camping out to get there first thing). I have seen just about everything show up at Goodwill or another thrift store eventually, but not all the stuff I need or want ever seems to come all at once.
That IS such a bummer. I went to a consignment shop for the first time on Friday – I was thinking that I could see if they had a few things I was looking for that are not disappearing off of the registry. But really didn’t think I’d have any luck. I had GREAT luck – I got the co-sleeper, a sling, another diaper bag, a few newborn/premie sizes just in case Lexi comes out small and I won’t feel bad about spending big money on things she’ll wear once and a brand new breast pump. I figure I saved over $500.00 over buying the stuff brand new from Babies r’ Us and everything was either Brand New or just opened. The lady suggested I let her know any other items that I was looking at and she’ll keep an eye/ear out for them for me. If you have any shops like that around you I totally recommend calling and asking them to keep an eye out because the shop owner told me that she doesn’t buy the strollers and stuff from people for fear of not being able to move the item and they take up so much store space but if she knew someone was interested she’d totally get it.
Oh bummer! I bet there were pictures from sales past. If you want a baby swing, I have one Honey Bear was in like 6 times. Sitting in the spare room waiting for a new home…
Michelle.. people HAD to have been camping out because I arrived at 8:10 and there was little more left than what you described. The perimeter of the gym was one continuous line of parents holding their items. All I wanted was a new (to him) bike for my son. booo.
Here is a tip: If you volunteer to work the sale (set up, bring food, work during the sale itself, etc.) or if you are consigning items yourself, you often get the benefit of a pre-sale the day before all the elbow-throwers show up. I can’t remember if I get 2 pre-sale tickets but the next sale is July 30th. If I have an extra ticket, I will contact you and see if you want to take another shot at consignment sales. 🙂
DItto ditto ditto, Shop thrift stores, and consignment shops and garage sales, volunteer at the consignment sale to do the presale and CRAIGS LIST! The salvation army stores in my town have half price days on Wed and I still go most wednesdays. Getting great clothes for a buck or two is great, but so is getting Crocs at that price or Large toys for $3 or chairs for $1 or 2. I got an almost new Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Song and Story chair for $2 at a church yard sale once. ($35 retail!) It’s like a treasure hunt!